Confirmed: New 2018 Ford Mustang arriving in New Zealand with sleek new design, greater performance and personalisation as the most advanced Ford Mustang yet.

Ford New Zealand confirms exciting list of improvements, changes and options for the 2018 Mustang including more athletic look, improved capability and technology inspired by Ford Performance’s Le Mans and Daytona-winning GT racers

Mustang GT features more power and torque for its 5.0-litre V8 with the all-new Active Valve Exhaust, while the EcoBoost Mustang delivers more torque for greater drivability

A new sophisticated 10-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission will be available for both the Mustang GT and the 2.3-litre Mustang EcoBoost models, with faster gear-changes and an optimised shift-pattern for performance and efficiency

New technology and design changes enable owners more ways to customise their Mustang, from the new digital instrument cluster with MyColour®, MagneRide™ suspension, Recaro leather sports seats and Over the Top stripe packages

Auckland, NEW ZEALAND, 12 February 2018 – Ford New Zealand today confirmed the 2018 Mustang will begin to arrive on our shores from April, bringing more of what pony car enthusiasts want most: more power, more technology, and more choices to make any Mustang their own.

Already New Zealand’s favourite sports car, the 2018 Mustang GT’s legendary 5.0-liter V8 engine packs more power and torque than the outgoing version, and a long list of performance and technology upgrades – including a 10-speed SelectShift® automatic transmission and an available MagneRide® suspension.

ICONIC STYLE, UNMISTAKABLY MUSTANG

The Mustang’s famous lines, seen everywhere from the silver screen to backroads of New Zealand, are recognisable the world over. For 2018, a more athletic stance and aggressive detailing gives Mustang a confident aesthetic while maintaining the classic visual features that make the Mustang.

Overall, the car’s exterior design is now more dynamic, with a lower, remodeled bonnet and grille that delivers a leaner look and refined aerodynamics, upper and lower front grilles, and a new position for the bonnet air-intakes. For the first time, the entire Mustang line will feature all-LED front lights including signature tri-bar lighting.

The rear of the car gets revised LED tail lamps for a more technical look, plus a new bumper, fascia and available performance spoiler. A dual-tip exhaust is standard for EcoBoost® Mustang, while the V8-powered Mustang GT now boasts a quad-tip exhaust as standard.

Mustang EcoBoost now offers the 19-inch black alloy as standard, while the GT carries over the mesh design from the current model. For a different look, a new five-spoked forged 19-inch alloy wheel is now available as an option for the GT and a 19-inch aluminium Premium Painted Alloy Wheel is available as an option for the EcoBoost Mustang, while Michelin tyres, the official partner for Ford Performance on road and track, are now standard across the Mustang line-up.

Bold exterior colour choices – including all-new signature Orange Fury as well as Kona Blue and Royal Crimson – combined with Over the Top (OTT) stripe packages mean that enthusiasts can order a Mustang with the look they’re after. In fact, the 2018 Mustang offers more factory-fit options than ever before, including a new single-wing rear spoiler, which is part of the US-market Mustang Performance Pack.

Increased personalisation extends to the 2018 Mustang’s new cockpit, characterised by improved touch points and visual cues for a more premium look and feel. The center console adds a new hand-stitched wrap with contrast stitching and padded knee bolsters while door handles, rings and bezels are finished in aluminium.

Restyled seating surfaces feature new patterns, while there’s also six-way leather-upholstered Recaro sports seating as a factory-fitted option. All Mustangs feature an instrument panel with an updated Mustang badge while there’s a new key fob design.

TECHNOLOGY: THE MOST ADVANCED MUSTANG

New technologies for Mustang include a 12-inch all-digital instrument cluster, inspired by the Le Mans-winning Ford GT racecar, that customers can customise their own way. A first for Mustang, this all-new instrument cluster offers three separate views. Mustang owners can customise the displays for normal, sport and track modes and choose settings including colour and gauge layout.

In conjunction with the new display, all-new Mustang MyMode with memory function allows customers to save their favourite drive settings, including suspension and steering preferences, for next time they get behind the wheel.

The new Mustang is so customisable that even its engine note can be adjusted. Delivering an audible experience like never before, an all-new active valve exhaust system is standard on all GT models, with a fully variable soundtrack to match the entire acceleration range. Four modes are available: Normal, Quiet, Track and Sport, tailoring the exhaust note for every occasion.

The all-new electronic control system includes unique tunes for different drive modes and features real-time adaptive shift scheduling to ensure the right gear at the right time. Steering wheel-mounted shift paddles allow drivers maximum manual control, while Track Apps record the action behind the wheel for driving development and satisfaction.

On all models, new shock absorbers make for better ride control, a new cross-axis joint in the rear suspension leads to increased lateral stiffness, and innovative stabilizer bars bring sharper response and handling.

For the first time, MagneRide™ damper technology is a new option for Mustang, designed to optimise ride and handling in all situations. Previously exclusive to the Mustang Shelby GT350, the MagneRide™ damping system allows automatic adjustment of each corner – up to 1,000 times per second – enabling better responsiveness and lateral performance.

Ford Driver-Assist Technologies

The 2018 Mustang also benefits from a vast array of Ford Driver-Assist Technology (DAT). Customers can feel more confident than ever behind the wheel with new features like Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection (AEB) as standard, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane-Departure Warning, and Lane-Keeping Assist as standard.

Mustang also benefits from Auto-levelling headlights, as well as automatic high beam, further reducing the driver’s workload.

Ford SYNC®3 is standard on 2018 Mustang, which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility at no extra cost, as well as an 8.0-inch full-colour that is also the reverse camera display.

THE FASTEST MUSTANG YET

Performance is at the core of Mustang DNA, offering drivers a unique thrill of acceleration and cornering for the ultimate fun-to-drive experience. Ford’s legendary 5.0-litre V8 engine has been thoroughly reworked, with more power and the ability to rev higher than any Mustang GT before.

The 2018 Mustang GT has 33kW more power than its predecessor, delivering a peak of 339kW – around 450 horsepower – as standard. This power increase has been achieved with the first application for Mustang of Ford’s new dual-fuel, high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure port fuel injection on a V8 engine – delivering robust low-end torque, high-rpm power, and improved fuel efficiency. The 5.0-litre Coyote V8 also packs 556Nm of torque, a jump of 26Nm, while the EcoBoost delivers 224kW with 9Nm more torque, now 441Nm.

A new 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission, available with both EcoBoost and V8 engines, is the best automatic Mustang has offered and boasts Ford-patented technology. With a wide-ratio span and optimised gear spacing, this all-new transmission helps deliver higher average power for acceleration – improving responsiveness and performance. Compared to the previous six-speed, the new 10-speed transmission has quicker shift times, better low-speed tip-in response and significantly reduced friction losses.

The manual transmission for the V8 has been upgraded for optimal torque and totally redesigned to include a twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel to increase torque capability and deliver more efficient clutch modulation.